Helpful Hints

• Instead of always giving your dog a regular bath, rub baking soda into his coat thoroughly and then brush off. It deodorizes as well as it cleans.
• A cream rinse is helpful for dogs whose fur tangles when wet.
• When bathing your dog, cut soap film and wash away strong soap odors by adding vinegar or lemon juice to the rinse water.
• For white and brighter pet fur, put a little bluing in the shampoo or rinse water.
• Remove burrs by working oil into the tangle or by crushing the burrs with pliers. Crushed burrs lose their holding power and can be combed out.
• If your new pup is chewing on furniture, solve the problem by putting a little oil of cloves (available at drugstores) on the wood with a piece of cotton. If the odor does not keep him away, the bitter taste will.
• Your new whining puppy probably misses his mother. Make him feel at home by putting a warm hot water bottle, wrapped in a towel, and a ticking clock in his bed. Try soft music on the radio, too.
• Cats hate plastic coverings. Cover your chair until your cat realizes the chair is a no-no.
• If you place some fresh pine needles in his doghouse or underneath his bed pad, fleas will flee.
• To keep fleas at bay, salt the crevices of your dog's house and wash him periodically with salt water.
• Tape reflector tape on your dog's or cat's collar to help cut down the danger of its being struck by a car at night.
• Should your cat or dog rub against a freshly-painted surface, use cooking oil to remove the paint from fur. It's gentler than paint thinner and works just as well.
• Cover pine cones with hardened bacon grease or other type of fat. Roll in bird seed or bread crumbs. Hang from a tree branch or tuck into bushes.
• To attract birds to an outdoor birdbath, drop in a few colored marbles.
• Help make birds' nesting easier by providing building materials. Collect lint from dryer, bits of string, yarn from sewing basket, and hair from your brush. Fasten together very lightly and attach to a tree branch.
• When you cannot find a funnel to put bird seed in the feeder, use the cut-off top of a clean bleach jug or an old milk carton.
• Dry melon and pumpkin seeds by spreading on sheets of newspaper. Store in covered cans after they are dry. The birds love 'em.
• Save the water from canned tuna and give it to your cats as a special treat.
• When bathing your pet, protect his or her eyes with a few drops of cod liver oil and tuck cotton balls into the ears. Squirt shampoo around the neck first so that fleas that are along for the ride can't run to higher ground (the head) during bath time.
• Never use soap and water to clean a pet's ears. The soap can irritate the ear and can build up, causing ear problems all by itself.
• To give a pill to your dog, insert the tablet into the mouth, then hold the muzzle shut. Tap the nose with your fingertip or blow gently in the pet's face. This will cause your dog to lick his nose and swallow.
• Put a foam rubber pad in your dog's bed. Fleas don't like them.
• Sprinkle a little ammonia around the trash can to prevent your cat or dog from dumping it.
• To minimize after-bath cleanups, place a piece of nylon net over the tub drain to collect pet hair.
• If your dog refuses to swallow a pill, try hiding it in a piece of cheese or dog food.
• To remove ticks from your pet, saturate a cotton swab with cleaning fluid. Touch it to the head of the tick. Use a tweezers to pluck the tick out.